An Icon for Kansas City’s Revitalized Urban Core

Sprint Center Kansas City, Missouri, USA

“Our architects created an icon that reflects our vision for a dynamic downtown. In Kansas City, the capital of sports architecture, the Sprint Center will serve as the cornerstone of a revitalized district that will attract visitors from the entire region.”

Kay Barnes
Former Mayor, Kansas City

HOK was part of the Downtown Arena Design Team, a consortium of leading sports architecture firms that collaborated to design the new Sprint Center.

As a glistening anchor for Kansas City’s downtown redevelopment, this state-of-the-art arena can hold up to 20,000 people for various sports and entertainment events. The flexible design could accommodate a National Basketball Association or a National Hockey League franchise in the future.

An elliptical glass form reflects the arena’s intimate seating bowl, creating strong visual connections between the spacious interior concourses and the exterior. The arena’s 360-degree transparency and soft, curvilinear form preserve and strengthen activity on every side.

Designed as a 365-days-a-year facility, the building and its site reflect Kansas City’s heritage.

Sharing the site is the interactive National Collegiate Basketball Coaches Hall of Fame. Linked by a low-slung entry space, the building provides an angular contrast to the arena’s curvilinear form and allows the arena to float freely while maintaining a respectful tie to the urban grid. The components come together to create a welcoming and well-defined public entry plaza that acts as part of the adjacent Kansas City Power & Light District.

The Downtown Arena Design Team included HOK, Ellerbe Becket, Populous and Rafael Architects.